Exile
by BlissfulCacophony
Summary: When Toothless saves Hiccup from the Monstrous Nightmare in the ring, Stoick doesn't take it well, and exiles Hiccup from the village. Alone with Toothless, Hiccup finds himself relying on the kindness of a mysterious dragon rider in order to survive. Some Astrid X Hiccup here and there. Warnings for gore and distressing content.
1. Disgrace

Hiccup nearly fell over when Stoick tossed him through the front doors of their dark house. He regained his footing, a little sore from being roughly dragged by the back of his vest all the way there, and turned to face the large, dark, imposing form of his father.

"Please, dad." Begged Hiccup, his heart pounding, scared of what his father might do. "They're not what we think they are."

"Not what we think they are?!" Rumbled Stoick.

Hiccup flinched.

"That's what your mother always said, but just look what happened to her."

The mention of his mother was like a knife through Hiccup's heart. Stoick was shaking with rage and red in the face.

Hiccup backed away submissively, trying not to stir his father's anger anymore than necessary. "Just please, don't hurt him," he pleaded. "That dragon, Toothless, is the only real friend I've ever had. If anything were to happen to him–"

"You named the beast?!" Stoick was apalled. "What do you think it is, Hiccup, some kind of pet? That is a dangerous, bloodthirsty monster. Maybe you used some tricks to tame it, ride it even, but one day it will turn on you. They can't be trusted."

"Dad, you don't understand." Said Hiccup, trying to stay calm.

"No, you don't understand, son. I can't just let this go unpunished. Tomorrow, you'll come with me, and I'll kill the dragon myself, then we'll forget any of this ever happened. It's clear you were never cut out for dragon fighting, after all."

Hiccup gasped, the idea of having to watch Toothless die putting him on the verge of tears. "No, dad. Don't kill him. I'm begging you."

Stoick slammed him fist against a shield on the wall. "Don't you get it, Hiccup? This is a lesson you are going to have to learn. If you refuse, or even try to stop me, I'll be forced to exile you, and you'll never be accepted in Berk again. I'll have to disown you as my son. Do you really want that?"

Hiccup hesitated.

"Don't be a fool, Hiccup."

Hiccup felt tense through his whole body. "I just have one question." He said, slowly, hanging on to each word. "Will Toothless be able to come with me if I leave?"

"If you wish it." Muttered Stoick, his face emotionless, knowing already what Hiccup would choose.

Hiccup took a deep breath. "Then consider me gone. I'm sure the village will be happy to have me gone anyway."

"Is that your final decision?"

"Yes."

"Then I hereby declare you exiled from Berk. You no longer will be considered a Haddock, or my son. Do you understand that?"

Hiccup hung his head. "Yes, I do."

"Then you have until sunrise to be gone. I'll have Gobber take care of the formalities, and take your dragon out of it's cage before you leave." Without another word, or any goodbye, Stoick left the house, slamming the doors behind him.

Hiccup watched him leave, and fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands.

He didn't see Stoick again as he gathered whatever belongings and provisions he could carry. He sighed as he walked out into the village. It was clear that Stoick had gotten the word out. No one was looking at him. They all turned away as soon as they caught sight of him.

"Hiccup." Said Gobber, putting a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Come with me."

Hiccup flinched a little away from his hand, and turned to face the blacksmith. "I'm guessing for the formalities my da– Stoick was talking about?"

Gobber nodded, his expression heavy and somber as he avoided Hiccup's eyes. "It's tradition for an exile to receive some kind of mark to brand them as such. Stoick told me to only let you leave with the dragon if you cooperate."

Hiccup felt his chest tighten up, knowing whatever Gobber was going to do, it was going to hurt a lot, but he took a deep breath. He was going to get out of this looking strong. . .hopefully. "Alright. I'll follow you."

The entrance to the forgery looked foreboding as Hiccup followed Gobber into it. Just the very fact that it was the forgery made Hiccup feel nauseated.

Gobber motioned to a stone shelf, and pushed Hiccup toward it. "Take off your shirt, and kneel next to that shelf. I'll get you something to bit on."

Hiccup nodded, and did what he was told, though "something to bite on" was hardly a comforting concept. He took off his vest, belt, and shirt, exposing his freckled back and chest, before kneeling with his arms on the shelf. His stomach dropped when Gobber reached over and tied his wrists securely to a metal hook on the shelf. He put a piece of hard and bitter leather between Hiccup's teeth.

"I'm sorry about this, Hiccup." Said Gobber.

Hiccup felt he charcoal marks across his back, extending from his shoulders to his waist and all the way across it's width. It only kicked up his anxiety, and he flinched when Gobber began replacing the marks with quick, sharp cuts, just deep enough to ensure scars. He bit into the leather and balled his fists until his knuckles were white, digging his fingernails into his palms. Tears streamed from his tightly shut eyes as he struggled to hold still. Squirming would only mess Gobber up, and he wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

He could only imagine what toothless was going through.

"Finished." Said Gobber finally to Hiccup's relief.

At this point Hiccup's whole back stung terribly, and it was all he could do to stay sitting up when Gobber released him and began cleaning and dressing his wounds.

"You can take your clothes with you, but you can't wear them on the way out of the village. Pants and boots only. I'll put what you took off into your basket for you."

Hiccup nodded slowly, his mind clouded by the pain.

Gobber slapped him lightly on the cheek. "Wake yourself up." He said. "You'll be having to saddle and fly your dragon soon. I can't have you hanging around here until you feel better. Sorry, but rules are rules."

"I understand." Muttered Hiccup, and he got up, his mind blank as he tried not to stumble. He had viking blood. He could handle this. He took the basket once Gobber had put his clothes in it, and slung it over his shoulder, ignoring the pain the best he could as they went back to the arena, where Gobber promised Toothless would be waiting.

Toothless was sitting in the middle of the arena, bleeding from the shoulder.

Hiccup turned to Gobber, distressed. "I thought you weren't going to hurt him."

"I didn't. The promise was to let you leave with him, and spare his life. His wound must be Stoick's doing."

Hiccup walked up to Toothless, looking at the Viking helmet and mace carved into the dragon's skin. He hugged Toothless. "We'll get through this, bud." He said softly.

Putting on Toothless's saddle was pure torture, but Hiccup was determined to push through it. All the while Toothless warbled in concern and stared at Hiccup with sad green eyes.

"It's alright, Toothless." Said Hiccup, out of breath as he finished. "I did it."

He rubbed Toothless neck, before hooking the basket to Toothless's saddle, carefully slipping on his own harness, and mounting the black dragon, making sure he was securely hooked into the saddle before riding Toothless out of the arena and taking off. Toothless noticed how out of it Hiccup was, and did the flying himself, gently nudging Hiccup to work the foot pedal, and speeding away from the place they could never again call home.


	2. Rescue

The hours passed, and Hiccup could feel himself losing focus by the minute. It was when he nearly fell asleep that Toothless started drifting down to land. They ended up on a small cliff where Toothless helped Hiccup gather wood to burn, and started a small fire. Hiccup found his clothes in the basket and put them on, curling up next to Toothless, his back stinging like crazy.

They were both hungry, but Hiccup knew they had to ration out the food until they were both strong enough to fish, so their dinner was scanty. Storm clouds blew in as dusk arrived, and Hiccup sighed when it began to snow. They had no shelter, and Hiccup was very weak as the temperature plunged. Toothless wrapped Hiccup's small body in his wings, making small, smoldering patches in the ground for warmth. Hiccup was grateful for Toothless's protection, but even the dragon had trouble holding up against the howling winds, and pounding hail.

By morning, Toothless was nearly out of fire, and Hiccup was unconscious.

Not far from them, a figure clad in strange armor rode on the back of a four-winged dragon. They had heard the forlorn cries of a dragon that night, and figured the poor creature must have gotten caught in the storm, but they were unable to search until the gale blew over. Now they searched, hoping to rescue and gain a new friend. The last thing they expected was to find a frost-covered nightfury curled up in the snow, wearing a saddle.

They landed on the other edge of the overhang, waking Toothless and putting him on the alert. He bared his teeth, and growled at the newcomers, moving his body closer around Hiccup, to hide him and keep him protected. The four-winged dragon backed off, but the rider dismounted. Toothless only growled more fiercely.

"It's okay." Said the rider, taking off her helmet. "I'm here to help you." She held her hand out, and crouched, moving toward Toothless slowly. She gasped when she saw his shoulder. "You poor thing. Who did this to you?"

Toothless folded his ears back and looked at the rider with sad eyes as she approached.

"You must be so scared." She said softly, her hand just inches away from his nose. "I can help you."

Toothless let her touch his nose, but his body was still wrapped protectively around Hiccup.

The rider noticed. "What's that you have there? Don't worry, I won't take it from you."

Toothless warbled sadly, and revealed Hiccup's limp body, ready to protect him if the rider proved hostile.

The rider only looked the boy over. "Is this your rider?"

Toothless warbled.

"The poor boy must be freezing. He's lucky he had you to protect him. . .I can care for him, feed you both, and give you shelter if you'll come with me." She went to pick Hiccup up, and Toothless let her. He deemed her trustworthy as she gently scooped Hiccup into her arms. She paused, taking a moment to examine his face again before looking down at Toothless.

With his tail exposed, she realized that the saddle had more of a purpose than comfort. She examined the apparatus connected to his prosthetic tail fin before giving Hiccup to her dragon to carry. "Take good care of him, Cloud Jumper." She said. "I'll fly the nightfury. It looks like he can't do it on his own." She mounted Toothless, and Cloud Jumper cradled Hiccup in his talons. On the rider's word, they took off, and left the cliff behind them.

0o0o0o0o0

The village was oddly quiet when Astrid woke up. She'd spent much of the night worrying about Hiccup and his dragon, but everything seemed calm. Business was going as usual. The only difference was that Hiccup was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, Astrid." Said Snotlout, catching up to her. "You look beautifully furious today."

"Where's Hiccup?" Asked Astrid, a million possibilities running through her mind of what could have become of him.

"Didn't anyone tell you? The chief exiled him last night. He left with his dragon before sunrise. Why do you even care about that dragon-loving loser anyway? He was such a weakling, not to mention a cheater and a liar."

"Just curious." Said Astrid, not wanting to let on that she knew Hiccup was right. She had considered telling the village about the dragon nest, but not after this.

"He went right into a blizzard too." Said Tuffnut.

"Yeah, he's probably dead by now." Said Ruffnut casually.

Astrid flinched at the thought of Hiccup freezing to death.

"Dead or not, with him gone, I'm next in line to be chief." Declared Snotlout. "Not that I ever thought he'd get chosen anyway."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut laughed, and the teens walked away, except Fishlegs, who lingered behind with Astrid.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Astrid nodded, her face blank. "Yeah. I'm fine."

0o0o0o0o0

"Stoick!" Called Gobber, walking after the chief.

"What is it, Gobber?" Asked Stoick seriously.

"Oh, just wondering how you're doing. Exiling your own son is nasty business. I certainly didn't enjoy carving that monstrous nightmare head into the boy's back. Must be such a disgrace. Not to mention he could be already dead. Poor Hiccup. Brought it on himself, didn't he?"

Stoick paused, tensing at he shoulders. "Don't mention that name to me again. He's not my son." he said curtly before walking away.

Gobber sighed. "What a shame. Looks like he misses his boy already."

0o0o0o0o0

Astrid snuck around the village. She had had to wait until nightfall to do this, and now it was her chance. She had to go after Hiccup. He could be dead by now, or dying and unable to get help. The least she could do was help him, but that entailed doing the unthinkable.

She snuck into the dragon arena, looking at the cages holding the dragons they fought with for training.

"Okay." She said, taking a deep breath. "Which one of you should I choose?"


	3. Stranger

Hiccup woke up slowly to Toothless breathing in his ear, feeling warm and groggy, the dragon's breath hot against his face. He opened his eyes, through they felt glued shut, and was welcomed by a pounding headache. "Hey bud." He said, his voice weak. "That was some crazy nightmare."  
>He was lying on his stomach, and tried to use his heavy limbs to get up, but as soon as he moved, his back shot with pain, making him gasp and bury himself in the pillow, his arms shaking. "Okay." He breathed, digging his fingers into the fabric. "That definitely wasn't a nightmare."<p>

He took some deep breaths, and waited for the pain to calm before cautiously looking up. Wherever they were, it wasn't the same place he had blacked out in. It was a cave, converted into a house, complete with hearth, table, and a bed, but no one was home. Toothless was curled around him, his shoulder well bandaged, and his saddle missing, but he seemed calm. Somebody must have rescued them while he was out, though he had no idea how long he had been that way or who could possibly have found them.

"Where are we?" He asked aloud, propping himself up slowly on his elbows. "Toothless, help me up."

Toothless seemed to disapprove of the idea, but slipped his head under Hiccup's arms, and helped him sit up. Hiccup gritted his teeth and panted a little once he was upright. At least now he could see his surroundings better, and himself. His whole torso was wrapped in clean  
>bandages that went around one shoulder to cover his upper back, but that's all that was on him. No pants, no boots, no clothing at all.<p>

"Well this is just great." He said. "I'm naked and wounded in a stranger's house with no idea where I am. Just what I always wanted."

Toothless huffed beside him, and Hiccup sighed.

"Well you're right about that, bud. We could still be out there freezing to death in the snow. I really owe this person big time, whoever they are."

Just then they heard humming coming from the entrance to the cave. It was a woman's voice, rich and soothing, accompanied by the sound of claws against rock. It wasn't long before the owner of the voice entered the cave, a tall woman followed by a dragon unlike any Hiccup had seen before, with four wings. The woman wore brown leather armor with a fur hood, and walked with her head held high, her long chestnut hair pulled back into three ponytails that were knotted, braided, and twisted individually.

Hiccup hurried to cover himself up with blankets before she looked in his direction.

"Oh you're awake." She said, smiling at him. "Good to see you're sitting up too."

Hiccup felt a little awkward at how casual she was around him, but remembered she may have been caring for him for days. "Well I can't say it was easy. . .or that I did it by myself. Toothless helped me."

She tilted her head, walking over to them. "Toothless? Is that the name of your dragon?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Well it's certainly appropriate. Retractable teeth is a very unique trait." She petted Toothless's nose and he hummed softly.

Hiccup was surprised at Toothless's reaction to her. "Yeah. . .Umm, mind if I ask you some questions? You know, like, who are you anyway? What is this place? How did I get here? How are you so comfortable with my dragon?"

"Slow down." Said the woman, chuckling and taking off her armor. "How about I start by introducing myself. My name is Valka. What's your name?"

"It's Hiccup."

Valka paused briefly before taking off her bracers. "Interesting name. Glad to finally know it. I found you and Toothless on a cliff side covered in snow yesterday morning. You were both very cold, and wounded, so Cloud Jumper and I brought you back here." She motioned to the dragon, who had already settled himself in.

"Wait, so you ride dragons too?" Asked Hiccup in surprise. "I thought I was alone in that."

Valka nodded. "I do, and we're not the only ones out there either, though we're a rare breed, and I like to think I'm different from the rest. You see, this place is what I like to call the Dragon Sanctuary. I've lived among these creatures for fifteen years. It certainly surprised me to find another dragon rider, with a very fresh mark of exile on your back no less."

"So do you live here alone? Well I mean, except for the dragons."

Valka nodded. "Yes. It's just me."

"So you're the one who. . .took my clothes?" Hiccup was feeling awkward again, the wonder of meeting another dragon rider suddenly gone.

Valka chuckled. "Yes, but don't worry. It's nothing I haven't seen before. I'm a mother, after all. In fact, I'm betting I'm old enough to be your mother. I had to check to make sure you weren't frost bitten, and there was blood on your clothes. I just got around to washing your shirt and pants, so you'll have to wait for them to dry."

"Wait, if you're a mother, where are your children?"

Valka finished removing her armor, and went to fill a wooden bowl with water. "Only one child. A son. Let's just say circumstances haven't allowed me to be there for him. He may very well resent me and be some strong viking warrior. His father was chief after all. He'd be fifteen now."

"He's my age then." Said Hiccup, watching as she set the water and a clean rag next to him and went to grab a wooden box full of medical supplies. "I'm also son of a chief. . .or I was anyway, but I'm no warrior, that's for sure. He probably never knew you, since you said you've been here for fifteen years."

Valka nodded sadly. "It's true. As much as I wanted to be there for him, well. . .you could say my opinions on dragons were very unpopular back where I lived, and when Cloud Jumper brought me here, I felt this was where I belonged. I always told myself he'd be better off if I just stayed away so he could grow up like a normal viking child."

Hiccup nodded, studying her closely as she walked toward him and sat behind him with her medical supply box. It was a really strange coincidence that their stories would match up so well. Was it really a coincidence at all? Stoick had never talked about what had become of his mother, but she was supposed to be dead, wasn't she? This woman couldn't possibly be her, could she?

"Hiccup, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to you to earn you this?" She started unwrapping the bandages around his wounds.

Hiccup hesitated, flinching a little at the idea of her hands being so near his back, even if she was being gentle. "Well, have you ever heard of Berk?"

Valka let out a sigh. "Oh yes. I already see where this is going."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. Well you see, I grew up not being able to kill dragons like everybody else. One day, I built myself this net launcher, and used it to shoot down a nightfury. I wanted to impress my father, and prove myself, but in the end. . .I just couldn't kill him. I let him go, and he got stuck in a gully and I realized I had injured his tail, so I made friends with him, and I made him a new tail fin, and eventually I learned to ride him. When my dad entered me into dragon training, I used all the tricks I learned from spending time with Toothless instead of brute force, but it kinda turned out badly because I was chosen to kill my first dragon. . .publicly." Hiccup gulped. "I got a friend of mine to meet Toothless and understand, and when I was in the ring, I wanted to show everyone what dragons were really like, but it all went wrong, and Toothless came to save me. Let's just say. . .that didn't go over well with my dad."

"Well that would certainly explain the tail fin and the wonderful craftmanship on his saddle, and the mark they put on your back." Said Valka as she wetted down the rag and began cleaning Hiccup's cuts. "I know how it feels to be rejected by people who are set in their opinions about dragons, and it seems like you have a way with them naturally. I can't say I can do anything about your village rejecting you, but if it helps at all, you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like. I'm sure you'd fit in."

"Thank-you." Said Hiccup, cringing a little as she started cleaning an especially deep cut.

She quickly lightened the pressure. "Oh, sorry. Are you in a lot of pain still?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, but I'll manage. . .what does the mark look like?"

"It seems to be the head of a monstrous nightmare."

"That would make a lot of sense." Said Hiccup, thinking back to the dragon in the arena.

"Well, it will certainly leave an intimidating scar. Should do you well if you choose a vigilante lifestyle. You, on the back of a nightfury, with a scar like that, some muscle tone, leather armor, and a mysterious sounding title to call yourself. No one will mess with you."

Hiccup chuckled. "Sounds like you know from experience."

Valka smiled again. "People don't often bother you when you're surrounded by a band of dragons."

"I can imagine." Hiccup's heard his stomach growl very loudly. "Do you, by any chance, have any food?"

"Oh. Yes, you must be starving. I'll make something for you as soon as I can finish up. I'll warn you, though, I don't often cook for guests."

"I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"Well the dragon's seem to like it." She started dabbing a hot, stinging, herbal paste into each wound, making Hiccup hiss in pain. "I know, it stings, but it will reduce the pain in the long run."

Toothless nuzzled Hiccup gently, concerned.

"See, Toothless is looking after you." Said Valka, as Toothless let Hiccup hugged his head.

"Thanks bud." Said Hiccup, hugging Toothless tighter.

Valka finished, and wrapped up Hiccup's back with clean bandages before standing. "Now lay down, I'll make you something to eat, and get you some water."

"Alright. Thank-you." Muttered Hiccup tiredly before easing himself back down on his stomach under the blankets.

Valka waited until he was safely down before walking over the hearth to cut up some fish to cook. "Do you need anything for the pain?"

"I'd love something." Said Hiccup, closing his eyes as Toothless curled around him.

"I'll make you some tea. The herbs should help."

"Thank-you."

Valka smiled a little. She was glad to help him. In fact, it was her responsibility, seeing as she was sure now that he was her son. She'd known from the moment she picked him up, really. Even if he was much older now, she could never forget her son's face. His name was no coincidence, nor was his past, or the fact that he had a talent with dragons. He was hers through and through, and the fact that he had taken after her all this time hurt worse than anything else.

She finished cutting the fish and started stacking them on wooden sticks to cook, making excuses to herself for why she was keeping this from him.

She thought that perhaps had he been conscious when she found him, she would have told him, but the day and a half he'd been out cold had given her time to reconsider. Would he resent her for staying away? How would she explain herself? She figured he would like the sanctuary, and what she'd been doing, but she could have been in Berk, sticking up for him this whole time. Not to mention he was probably dealing with so much right now anyway.

Worst of all though, she had no idea how to break this to him.

She hummed to herself as she put the tea kettle over the fire, and added the fish beside it. She prepared a tea bag with some pain killing herbs and steeped it in a cup once the water had come to a boil. As she finished preparing their food, she noticed Cloud Jumper settle in near her while Toothless was dedicated to lying beside Hiccup. She dumped half a basket of fish for Cloud Jumper, and brought the rest over for Toothless. She then laid out the food for herself and Hiccup.

"I'm going to help you up again now." She said, and helped Hiccup sit up. "Sorry it's just fish tonight. I'll need to gather and hunt more to keep us both fed. The tea will help with the pain, and I got you some water too." She sat down across from him on the floor, her plate in her lap.

"I don't know how I'll ever repay you for all this." Said Hiccup, taking a sip of the water.

"No need. The company and conversation is enough for me. If you want to earn your keep though, you can cook for me when you're well enough. Perhaps take care of the place when I have to go somewhere."

Hiccup nodded. "I'd be happy to." He sat there awkwardly, examining the woman across from him as he ate the food, which was mediocre at best. For some reason he felt so safe with her, like he would be taken care of and protected as long as he stayed. Because of that, he wanted to stay there, which is why, as nervous as he was, he had to ask the question that had been bothering him this whole time.

"Valka." He started.

"Yes?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

She looked directly at him with big eyes that seemed nervous and a little scared. "And what is that?"

"That son you keep talking about. . .he's me. . .isn't he?"

Valka hesitated, and then nodded. "Yes, Hiccup, I am your mother."

Hiccup stared at her, feeling tense. "So, why didn't you tell me right off the bat?"

Valka only sighed. "I was afraid you'd be angry at me, or that perhaps with all you're dealing with, it would be too much to handle. Mostly though, I just didn't know how to tell you. You're a very smart boy though. I suppose I should have guessed I couldn't have fooled you for long. I'm sure lying to you made a wonderful first impression."

"No, it's not like that. I mean, I'm not mad at you at all. You may have not been there for me all these years, but you were there when I needed you most, and I can't say I don't approve of all this dragon stuff you've been doing." He smiled a little, though he couldn't say he didn't feel hurt about her being gone for so long.

Valka looked up at him again. "Oh I assure you, you've only seen a fraction of all this. It's truly amazing." She paused. "Hiccup. . .will you stay here with me? I know I hardly deserve this, but you're here now, so I was wondering, will you give me a second chance, and let me be your mother again?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah Val – mom. I'd love that."

Valka smiled and hugged him gently, and it felt warmer, and more safe than any hug Hiccup had received before.


	4. Search

Hiccup woke up alone in the cave once again. He figured he must have fallen asleep without really thinking about it. I had been easy with how that evening had gone. Valka had fed him, sat and talked to him, helped him into his dry clothes and put him to bed. Hiccup was so . . . curious about her, and for the first time he thought he knew what having a mother was like.

But now she was gone.

A basket of food was next to him. There was a jug of water within reach, and it appeared that she had already tended to his cuts, but she herself was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of her dragon either. Where could she have gone? If anything, it looked like she had given him the means to take care of himself until her return, which would be in who knows how long.

"Valka?" He called for good measure, but there was no answer. "Mom?" He tried again, but sighed when there was silence. He looked at Toothless, hoping maybe the dragon had some sort of answer, but he only tilted his head and warbled innocently. "She could have at least said something." He said, thinking of all the possibilities of why she had left and where she had gone. "But I guess it's just you and me bud." Toothless just laid his head down next to Hiccup, and wrapped his tale around the boy.

Hiccup looked around a little more, hoping to find a note or something, but his suspicions were concerned. She hadn't left a single clue, and it made him feel a little frustrated. He told himself not to worry, and that she'd be back for sure. She had to come back, right? This was her home after all, and why would she rescue him just to abandon him, especially when he was in no condition to fend for himself? As his mother she loved and cared for him enough to come back before the provisions he had ran out . . . right?

He sighed and buried his head in his pillow. He hated not knowing, not quite trusting the woman he had just met, even though she was his mother, but he didn't really have a choice now. All he could do was stay put, and wait.

0o0o0o0o

The dusky air was cold and crisp as Astrid snuck through the village in the same fashion she had for the last two nights. The nearly three days since Hiccup had been exiled had been a series of well . . . failures. She had wanting nothing more than to get the village on Hiccup's side, but the more she tried, the more she realized how hard and sketchy of a thing it was to do. Trying to stop the fighting meant endangering the village to the other Vikings, but they didn't know the truth. They couldn't take in the truth. Still, her Viking stubbornness issues drove her to keep trying, just like their Viking stubbornness kept them fighting her. This was such a problem.

In the end, her efforts, and how secretive she was being, had only earned her name calling and some pretty nasty looks. She was just glad that, unlike Hiccup, she had some status, and the other teens had a reason to be afraid of her. She had also been discreet enough that when she rode off at night to try to find Hiccup on the back of the deadly nadder that she had begun to call Stormfly, no one suspected her. Of course that, like everything else, hadn't been working out either.

She had searched every inch of the island, and all the islands around it in search of Hiccup, but she hadn't had any luck. The only thing she'd found was a pathetic little abandoned campsite buried in melting snow. It made her sad and worried to think he might have frozen to death somewhere in the freak snowstorm, but how could he with Toothless at his side? Though she wasn't ready to give up on the village, she knew she could only search for Hiccup for so long. Tonight, she was going to give it one final shot, and if she came up empty handed, she'd just have to forget about him . . . and move on.

0o0o0o0o

Valka crouched on Cloud Jumper's back, wearing her helmet, looking out around her for potential trouble as the last light of the sun disappeared under the horizon. She had spent the entire day hunting, and she was pleased to find that she had done it relatively free of trouble, and had had more luck than she expected. Now she was exhausted, over a week's worth of food hanging from Cloud Jumper's talons, and even more in a basket slung across her back.

"Well I think we got a record haul this time, wouldn't you say?" She observed, looking at Cloud Jumper.

He only huffed beneath her.

Valka scoffed and crossed her arms. "Oh, don't be such a pessimist. Soon Hiccup will heal, and we'll teach him how to hunt with Toothless."

Cloud Jumper let out a doubtful growl and flew a little higher.

Valka sighed. "Yes, I know he's a wee little thing, but that doesn't mean anything. You remember what a clumsy oaf I was to start with."

The dragon just huffed again.

"You're just a sourpuss, that's what you are."

Cloud Jumper tensed, and started growling lightly.

"Oh what did I insult you or something?"

The dragon shook his head, and went into a silent glide, still tense and watchful.

Valka became tense too. "What is it, old friend?" She looked around, catching the form of a deadly nadder flying a ways off, seemingly with a rider. This made Valka both curious and suspicious, and she brought her staff into a defensive position. She had a policy concerning other dragon riders because they were a rare occurrence and she didn't often trust them. This was of course to kidnap them in hopes of either gaining a new ally or capturing a crony of Drago's that she could question, and instill fear in before sending them back to Drago with some good bruises and a horror story to tell. Usually, it was the latter.

"Shall we go greet our friend?" She asked, and Cloud Jumper swooped around to intercept the nadder.

Astried tensed when she heard the sound of another dragon in the distance, and saw it approaching. "Go, Stormfly." She ordered her dragon, and Stormfly sped up, but screeched and paused when she was intercepted by the larger dragon.

Astrid gasped when she saw the dragon's armored rider, getting the feeling that she was getting herself into some serious trouble.

Valka stood up on Cloud Jumper, surprised to see a teenage girl on the dragon's back, and deciding not to scare her further by plucking her from her dragon's back. She pointed her staff at her instead, standing up straight and intimidating. "Who are you, and what business do you have here?" She demanded, lowering her voice in the way she usually did to mask that she was a woman.

Astrid instinctively reached for her axe, wanting to get out of there before something bad happened and she couldn't get back to Berk in time.

Valka saw this, and held her hand out, motioning for her to stop. "Don't attack us, and we won't harm you in return." She warned, putting her staff down to her side.

Astrid took her hand away from her axe, but didn't relax either. "My name is Astrid Hofferson." She said confidently, trying to sound like she wasn't intimidated. "I am a Viking and I'm just out searching for my friend."

Valka paused. A Viking girl named Astrid? Wasn't Astrid the name of the girl Hiccup had told her about? The girl he liked? The one he had convinced to accept Toothless?

Valka tilted her head. "You mean Hiccup?"

Astrid gasped and her eyes widened. "What?! You mean you know Hiccup?! You know where he is?!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Valka nodded, deciding that she could probably trust this girl. "Yes. Come. I'll take you to him."

Astrid was reluctant, but followed, knowing it was a chance. She looked at the other rider, wanting to know more. She had never met another dragon rider before, but she kept quiet on their flight. Eventually they got to a cave, and Cloud Jumper landed, and Valka slipped off and continued on foot. Astrid decided to follow suit and got off of Stormfly, noticing that the larger dragon was dragging a haul of fresh game with him.

Valka took off her helmet, and Astrid was surprised to see that the rider was a woman with long auburn hair pulled away from her face. She spoke to her dragon like she was having a conversation with him, and other dragons seemed to be drawn to her. They followed her casually, letting her scratch their scales as she went along. This only sparked Astrid's curiosity further, and she couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer.

"So, who are you? And how do you know Hiccup?" She asked.

Valka looked back at her, wondering how much she should tell her. "Well to start off with, my name is Valka, and I'm Hiccup's mother."

Astrid's jaw dropped. "His mother? No way. His mother is dead."

"That's what everyone was led to believe when Cloud Jumper carried me off all those years ago, but go back to Berk and ask Stoick about his wife, and he'll describe me to you, if he even talks about me anymore." She sighed. "I found Hiccup freezing to death in the snow with Toothless trying to protect him. He was wounded so I took him in and fixed him up. I knew he was my son from the start, and I was surprised to find him with a dragon, because the only reason I stayed away is because I thought he'd be like the rest of the Berkians, fighting the dragons like they're nothing but monsters. He woke up only yesterday evening, and I found out just how wrong I was. He actually mentioned you, and that's why I decided to bring you to him."

Astrid stared at her. She didn't know if she believed her story, but either way it interested her. "Wait. You tried to convince them not to fight the dragons? Did you ever make any headway?"

Valka shook her head. "No. there was no changing their minds. There never will be at this rate, seeing as it's so deeply ingrained in them. They don't realize how lucky they are to have some people among them who think differently and are willing to change."

Astrid looked down and nodded. "Yeah, that's true." She thought back to her own struggle, and though she herself had changed, Valka's words didn't give her much hope for the rest. "But I still want to try, because anything that's worth fighting for shouldn't be given up on."

Valka looked back at her, smiling a little bit. "I admire your determination, Astrid. Just be careful, alright? Being different can often be a dangerous game."

0o0o0o0o

Hiccup laid down on his stomach, rolling his pencil across the floor with his finger, and letting it come back to him. He had been sure to bring his notebook with him the night he was exiled, and was pleased to find it was still dry and intact. His day had been spent being really bored and drawing Cloud Jumper on the notebook's weathered pages. He was a little anxious, because he still hurt everywhere, and he was getting really hungry. Toothless had found some raw fish, but Hiccup wasn't that desperate yet. He just hoped his mother would return soon . . . if she even was his real mother.

He wasn't exactly sure why he doubted her. This just all seemed weird, almost unreal. What were the chances that his mother of all people would find him, and then again, why would she lie? She had told that story before he had given her any information about himself. If it was just a coincidence she would have said so, wouldn't she? He pushed the theory out of his mind. She had described his father perfectly, and knew his name. There was no way she couldn't be his real mom.

There was talking outside, and Hiccup perked up. Had Valka brought someone with her? He recognized the other voice, and gasped a little. That couldn't be . . . Astrid's voice, could it?

"Hiccup!" Exclaimed a worn out looking Astrid once she entered into the room. Valka followed her, a smirk on her face, carrying a basket on her back and her helmet in her arms.

"Astrid?" Asked Hiccup, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at her with a surprised grin on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been looking for you." She smiled a little as she sat down next to him. "Everyone thinks you died in that snowstorm, but I had to make sure. I was about to give up when your mother found me and brought me here. I'm glad to see she's been taking care of you." She noticed the bandages through the slit at the front of his shirt. "How are you doing?"

Hiccup glanced over at Valka, surprised she had told Astrid that she was his mother right off the bat. "I'm doing okay. I still have a long way to go recovery wise, and my wounds still hurt a lot, but I'll be okay. I just can't do a lot on my own until they heal further. Thanks for coming after me, Astrid. It really means a lot." He spotted the blue nadder that walked in after Cloud Jumper. " . . . Is that the deadly nadder form the arena?"

Astrid nodded, smirking a little sheepishly. "Yeah. I named her Stormfly, and I've been riding her every night since you were exiled trying to find you. No one's been on to me . . . from what I know anyway, but I don't really think they trust me. I've been advocating for the dragons lately after all."

"You've been what?" Asked Hiccup, surprised that she would do that. "Astrid, I just got exiled for that. Don't you think that's a little dangerous, you know, especially so soon after all this drama with Toothless?"

"Hiccup, I have to." Insisted Astrid. "I can't let the whole village continue to be so ignorant and fight dragons for no reason. I saw the nest too. I know what's going on, and we can't just keep going on like this. I know it hasn't been working so well, but I at least need to try."

Hiccup frowned. "Astrid, you're up against three hundred years of Viking stubbornness."

"I know, but you changed my mind, so why can't I change theirs?"

Hiccup looked at the determination in her eyes, and decided not to argue with her. For all he knew, she would have more success than he ever did. "That's true. I hope you can Astrid. Just be safe."

Astrid nodded. "I will be."

Valka scoffed. "It's certainly worth the try, but in the case that you can't, you're always welcome here. I'll even set up a bed for you."

Hiccup sucked in his lips and gave her a look. She wasn't helping him at all. "So where exactly were you all day? You kind of left me here all day to worry and wonder how long you'd be gone, you know, without even a goodbye or any clue of what was going on."

"I left everything you needed, didn't I?" Asked Valka, taking out a knife and rolling up her sleeves as she grabbed a dead rabbit from the pile.

"Well, yeah, but that isn't the point. I would have appreciated it if you had told me, so I wasn't left with all that uncertainty."

Valka paused for a moment, and then realization crossed her face. She looked down and sighed. "That's right. I'm sorry Hiccup. I guess it's been too long since I've lived with another person. I'm so used to not having anyone to look after that I . . . forgot. I went out to hunt for food for the both of us and I didn't even tell you goodbye. What kind of a mother am I?"

Hiccup noticed that she looked really stressed out all of the sudden, and it occurred to him that she really was trying. She had been out doing something for his benefit. "I-it's okay mom." He said, trying to be reassuring. "I guess I didn't think about that. I really should have. Sorry."

Valka shook her head. "No, it's my fault. I'll do better. I remember your father used to insist I let him know whenever I went somewhere. Always so stiff and protective, he was. I bet he made you do the same thing."

Hiccup tensed a little at the mention of his father, and he looked down at his notebook. "Yeah, but I don't think I did it nearly as much as he would have liked."

Valka chuckled. "Same, but I understand you're in a position when you're very dependent upon me, so I won't go running off without telling you." She smirked. "Not until you're well enough to go running off yourself, that is."

Hiccup decided that the more Valka talked, the more intrigued he was by her, and the more she cooked, the more quickly he wanted to get back up on his feet so he could make them decent meals. Astrid took Valka's invitation to stay for a while, and helped her skin the meat while Hiccup found himself drifting off again. When he woke up again, they were talking like they had hit it off really well, and dinner was ready. The fact that Astrid had helped Valka cook didn't make it taste any better, but he was still glad to have Astrid there. He was convinced he'd never see her again, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he would have missed her.

The three ate and talked until the food was finished up, and Valka helped Hiccup out of his shirt so she could change his bandages. Astrid's face fell when he saw the mark of exile on Hiccup's back, but she didn't say anything. Hiccup was glad for it. That was not a memory he wanted to think back to, even though it threatened to come back every time Valka worked at his wounds. It wasn't just because of the fact that it was a painful experience, though that definitely was a factor, but also because it made him think of his home and the life he had there. Sure it wasn't the best home, nor the best life, but the looming fact that he could never return left an emptiness inside of him that he was convinced neither this cave, nor his mother could fill.

o0o0o0o0

Astrid woke up on the floor, covered halfway by a blanket with a warm body behind her, and an arm draped over her waist. She looked around in confusion, and heard a snore which made her jump and sit up quickly, realizing that the person she'd been sleeping next to was Hiccup. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and she gasped when she saw how light it was outside. She jumped to her feet, waking Hiccup in the process.

"Astrid?" He asked groggily.

"I've gotta go." Said Astrid, pulling on her boots.

"What?" Exclaimed Hiccup, suddenly alert, propping himself up on his elbows.

"I have to get back before the village realizes I went off with Stormfly." Astrid explained.

Hiccup's face dropped. "Oh yeah . . . that's right, but . . . but this won't be the last time I see you, right? You'll come back to visit when you can, won't you?"

Astrid paused, and looked back at Hiccup, before kneeling next to him, and hugging him softly. "Yeah. I'll come back, I promise. Don't worry."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Said Hiccup as Astrid stood and walked over to Stormfly.

"I know you will." She mounted her dragon. "Uhh . . . so I guess I'll see you later then."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah . . . uhh . . . see you later."

Astrid nodded, and Stormfly started walking out the door with Astrid on her back. Hiccup bit his lip. What was he doing letting her leave like this? What if she didn't keep her promise and he never saw her again? He started to panic, and he really wished he could get up and run after her.

"Wait!" He called out, and Stormfly stopped while Astrid turned around, looking at him. Hiccup was still panicking, and he couldn't really form the words right as his heart pounded in his chest. "Just . . . be careful okay? I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Astrid's face softened and she dismounted Stormfly. "Don't worry about me, Hiccup. I can take whatever they throw at me. You . . . umm . . . be careful too." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then she was gone, leaving Hiccup blushing and wishing she would stay.


End file.
